


Room 1215 | Dojae/Jaedo

by valendoie



Category: K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Hotel, M/M, Minor Injuries, dojae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valendoie/pseuds/valendoie
Summary: Kim Doyoung, having run away from home finds work at a hotel.Unfortunately on the first day of work he finds himself stuck on the hotel owner's son, Jung Jaehyun's balcony.He can only wait for all hell to be let loose.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung
Comments: 16
Kudos: 132





	Room 1215 | Dojae/Jaedo

**Author's Note:**

> After many years of having works unpublished and deleting drafts or never working on them because of procrastination, I finally pushed myself to finish this piece. 
> 
> While I'm not satisfied with my writing, I'm glad I finished this. It isn't all like how I imagined but in it's essence, it's exactly how I planned it out. Does that even make sense? I don't know.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy this little thing I whipped out in 3-4 days. I do warn you, a lot of it was written in a caffeinated writing fest well at like 3am so if some parts make no sense. I blame it on that. 
> 
> And for the saucy parts, I'd actually written a lot more. An entire scene. But after going over it and seeing how horribly I paced it i decided to scratch it. I hope y'all like whatever's left of it and i promise next time i'll do better.

  
  
  
  


The uniform feels uncomfortably heavy on him. Doyoung grimaces under the weight and feels beads of sweat beginning to form around his neck already from the thick material of it.

But, he has to put up with it for the sake of his new job. 

Having run away from home, he now has only 2 priorities in his life - a roof over his head and a decent paying job. His current workplace happens to tick both boxes. 

The hotel manager allows him to stay in one of the unused rooms, and he is beyond grateful for it. It’s a drab place with bad heating but he’s content with it. 

"Ooh fancy," Pipes up a voice beside him, pointing at the handkerchief folded in the breast-pocket of his uniform. Little did they know it was there to hide the fact that he accidentally burned the area while trying to iron it. 

Doyoung's head turns to be met with a boy with a beaming smile adorning a uniform similar to his own. He waves at Doyoung, "Hi, I'm Jungwoo!" 

Doyoung purses his lips into an awkward smile and does a little bow, "Doyoung Lee."

"The new guy!" Doyoung is a little taken aback by the excitement in his tone, "Are you nervous? Don't be! Manager Lee is very nice! And I of course am ready to guide any underlings!" 

He clasps his hands together and flashes Doyoung a determined nod. Before Doyoung can reply the manager's loud voice booms across the room. "Alright! Gather up folks!" 

Slowly more of his co-workers begin to huddle around, and almost all of them stare at Doyoung. He feels tiny under their gazes and their quiet chatter about him grows increasingly audible, making the tips of his ears turn red. He makes eye contact with the manager who curtly nods him over. 

Doyoung shuffles towards the center of the room and feels an arm swing over his shoulder. He blinks at the sudden movement and bites back a gasp, "Alright folks, this is the new addition to our team, Doyoung Lee. I hope all of you will get along with him and help him adjust." 

Doyoung flashes everyone a grin and awkwardly waves.

After answering some basic questions and laughing at a couple of unfunny jokes, Doyoung finally walks back to his spot, feeling a little more confident about the day. The manager drones on about everyone's duties and assigns a floor to the workers and everyone actively responds

... until he announces, "Floor 12! Any volunteers?" 

Everyone grows quiet and Doyoung shifts uncomfortably with one thought in his mind. 

_ What's wrong with floor 12? _

Jungwoo hunches his shoulders in, as if to make himself look smaller and ducks his head, stepping behind Doyoung in an attempt to hide.

_ So much for guiding his underlings. _

The manager purses his lips, giving everyone a knowing stare. Perplexed, Doyoung tilts his head backwards, letting out a little whisper, "What's up with floor 12?" 

Jungwoo glares at him, "Shut it! He's gonna choose us!" 

"But-" 

Doyoung's words are cut short when manager Lee points at him. "New guy! And...Jungwoo!" He flashes them a grin, "You guys get floor 12!" 

The tension in the air settles and everyone in the room breathes a sigh of relief. Despite the lively mood, a pair of eyes glaring at the back of his head makes Doyoung gulp in nervousness. It isn’t long before everyone slowly shuffles out of the room, off to do their duties and that's when Jungwoo lets it all out. He massages his temples with his fingers and lets out a groan.

"I can't believe it," He grumbles under his breath

"I-I'm sorry?" Doyoung stammers, still extremely confused. 

To his response Jungwoo only sighs. 

"Jung Jaehyun. That's what's wrong with the 12th floor." Jungwoo grabs a cart and ushers Doyoung to do the same. Doyoung watches his dejected shoulders slump as he walks away and he gulps. Just what was in store for him?

  
  
  


\- 

  
  
  
  
  


Room 1215. 

Jungwoo nudges Doyoung forward. His round eyes widen and a look of panic overtakes his expression, "Jungwoo, I don't think I can-" 

"You can, believe in yourself hyung!" Jungwoo nods at him with feigned reassurance and before Doyoung could say another word he runs off like he is escaping a dragon's lair. 

Doyoung grimaces as he looks at the door in front of him. Jungwoo told him numerous stories of the renowned Jung Jaehyun. He is the hotel owner's son and stirs up trouble almost everyday. Bickering with the staff, throwing tantrums and hosting loud parties are only some of the things he does on the regular. 

Doyoung gulps and hesitantly knocks. It’s better to bite the bullet and just go for it. At least it’ll be over quicker. 

He puts in his keycard and unlocks the door after spotting the 'House-keeping' placard on the door knob, and soon he is immersed in his work. He changes the sheets, mops the floors and glances between the bathroom and the balcony in indecision. He bites down on his bottom lip and fishes a coin out of his pocket. 

“This’ll decide for me,” He smiles at it and tosses it in the air.

The balcony is up first.

He grabs a window wiper and walks out. He shuts the door and gets straight to work. 

By the time he is done, his biceps burn. And who knows how much time has passed? 

He slumps against one of the chairs and wipes the perspiration on his forehead with the back of his hand. His uniform coat was long discarded on the little coffee table. 

He had gotten quite comfortable, seeing as the feared figure was nowhere to be found. He got lucky.

Or, at least he thought he did.

He only realizes that his luck seemed to run out when he gathers his things and tries to open the balcony door. 

It is locked. 

Somehow, he has managed to lock himself in Jung Jaehyun's balcony. Dread pools within him and his eyes dart around. He checks all his pockets, hoping to call the manager but apparently he'd left his phone in the cart, which also has the keys he needs to get out. 

"What should I do," He bites down on his bottom lip. 

Doyoung was never very good with nervousness. In fact, he was horrible in high stress situations. His inability to function in stressful moments was even a catalyst in making him run away from home. 

But, in his current situation, there is no way to run. Blatant denial would serve him well during times like this, but his brain is too aware to be in denial. 

"Think, Doyoung, think!" He speaks to himself, slapping his cheeks with both hands. 

After numerous minutes of just pacing in panic, a tiny thought slithers it's way in the back of his mind. 

_ Try breaking out. _

Now, the thought is almost humorous. Seeing as Doyoung isn’t very athletic. Nonetheless, it means he can run away from the situation. He can reimburse the hotel for the damage out of his paycheck later, in installments. They’ll understand, right? Manager Lee is kind, after all. It’s a ridiculous thought, but it is doable. 

“I’m  _ so _ gonna get fired for this,” He groans out before preparing himself.

Doyoung huffs in a deep breath and closes his eyes. Everything will be okay, he just has to focus on getting out. He braces himself and counts down. 

"5...4...," He closes his eyes and furrows his brows with new found determination.

  
  


"3, 2 ,1." 

He makes a run for it. 

It takes a split second before the collision occurs. And Doyoung is so lost in concentration that he doesn’t hear anything else happening around him.

His face hits the surface before the rest of his body does. 

_ Since when did sliding doors get this warm? _

He’s so perplexed he actually pulls away and with closed eyes leans in again, pressing his cheek onto the surface for a second feel. As if that would make anything change. But, when he feels what he can only describe as stiff, chiseled rock hard abs, his eyes open and he pulls away. 

It is like he's been struck by thunder. 

The sight in front of him makes his jaw fall. And he stands there for a while, mouth agape, just staring with a dumbstruck look at the figure in front of him.

Jung Jaehyun stands there. Damp hair falling over his eyes, clad only in a towel wrapped around his waist. 

He raises an eyebrow.

And, Doyoung can only wait for all hell to be let loose.

-

  
  


Hell is a lot different than what Doyoung initially imagined it would be like. 

Currently, it is strewn around champagne bottles and silly-string. And...cake on the walls? A shiver goes down his spine.

That day Jaehyun had only clamped a hand down on Doyoung's shoulder and led him to the Manager. To everyone's surprise he started laughing.

"Lee Taeyong, give this man a raise," He wheezed, "He is so funny!" 

He walked away after that and the manager held back a smile of victory. The age long problem of 'Who's gonna clean floor 12?' was solved. And following the event came lots of changes. 

It came with murmurs of both relief and skepticism from co-workers, and angry grumbling from Jungwoo. 

And of course, it came with a lot of work. 

Jung Jaehyun is no easy man to please. 

Doyoung is still employed, at least. That’s a silver lining.

Doyoung stares at the modern bachelor pad of a room he has. It has floor to ceiling windows on one end. He walks up to it and opens the blinds. Natural light fills the open kitchen and living area. He bends down to pick up a couple of bottles in his way. With a little cleaning, this place is like a dream suite for Doyoung. 

But dreams seldom become a reality. He sighs, going back to pick up trash around the room.

He turns when he hears footsteps behind him and watches Jaehyun emerge from his room. Again, shirtless, but this time sporting a pair of sweatpants. 

Doyoung's eyes widen and he grows more alert. 

He catches Jaehyun's eyes and bows wordlessly. 

"Blinds." Jaehyun groans out, lazily pointing at the direction of the windows. 

"Huh?" Doyoung looks at him quizzically before realizing, "Oh! Right!" He scrambles over and quickly shuts the blinds. 

He nervously scratches the back of his neck, feeling awkward to work around Jaehyun. 

Doyoung clasps his hands together and steals a glance at him. Jaehyun’s pouring himself a glass of water. 

His back muscles flex when he reaches up to get a mug from the cupboard and Doyoung has to admit, he is one fine specimen of a man. 

"Hey, you," He didn’t even realize that Jaehyun turned around. The tips of his ears turn red when he sees him staring expectantly. 

"Yes?"

"Can you cook?" 

"I-," Doyoung smiles politely but then he tilts his head when he registers the question "Yes?" 

Jaehyun leans against the counter, "Well, can you make me some breakfast? I'd call room service, but I'm in a hurry." 

Doyoung pauses for a beat, unsure of what to say. Cooking isn’t really a part of his job, and his mediocre skills surely won’t match Jaehyun's taste palette. The man has five star quality dishes from room service for every meal.

Jaehyun picks up on his hesitation and juts his bottom lip out with a frown. 

" _ Please _ ? Anything will do." 

Doyoung flashes him an awkward smile and nods. 

Jaehyun lets out a small 'yay' and perches on a stool in front of the kitchen island. He places an elbow on the island and places his cheek on his hand. 

Doyoung moves around the kitchen, deciding he'll make Jaehyun the one thing he can make. Scrambled eggs and toast.

His eyebrows are furrowed and lips pouted.

Jaehyun watches him and bites back a chuckle. 

_ He looks like a bunny. _

He awkwardly coughs his oncoming laughter away, "It must be hot, you can take off your coat y'know." 

"Right," Doyoung croakes out. He shrugs off his coat and with a sudden burst of confidence he says, "Shouldn't you put on a shirt?" 

The rush of regret is almost immediate.

Jaehyun snickers.

"Why? Am I distracting you?" He teases.

The tips of Doyoung's ears turn red and his cheeks feel warm. "Of course not." He bites back.

"Shy, are we?" Jaehyun’s enjoying Doyoung’s flustered state, "Okay, I'll put on a shirt." 

He gets up to get a shirt, but not before stretching his limbs, making sure to show off.

"Hope you don't end up missing this view," He leaves with a wink.

As soon as he’s out of sight, Doyoung practically melts into a puddle out of embarrassment. He groans whilst grabbing a pair of chopsticks. He channels all his annoyance and frustration into stirring the eggs with it, mulling over the conversation. 

"Miss the view?" He scoffs, “As if.”

  
  


By the time Jaehyun comes back, Doyoung is plating the food. He turns to see that Jaehyun had already showered and gotten ready to go out. 

Doyoung places the plate on the counter and nods towards it.

"Thanks," Jaehyun nods back and digs into the meal.

With a mouthful of toast, he turns to Doyoung. Quickly gulping it Jaehyun starts speaking, "Taeyong should really give you a raise, you cook well too," He drones on some more in the background while Doyoung gathers his things to go and clean his room. 

All he can do is silently laugh at Jaehyun’s childish words and shower of compliments. 

“All in a day’s work,” He smiles and begins to walk away.

Just as he’s out of view the smile from Jaehyun's face fades away and he says something Doyoung barely manages to catch. 

"It's been so long since I've had a home-cooked meal." 

_ He’s talking to himself.  _

And Doyoung should walk away. He should discard the words. But, for some reason they sting him. 

The words seem to stick straight to his heart.

  
  


-

Many of Doyoung’s days pass in the same fashion. Cleaning Jaehyun’s room slowly begins to become one of the most entertaining experiences around the place. Not that Doyoung would ever admit that to anyone. 

Doyoung doesn’t really talk a lot and Jaehyun never shuts up when he’s in the room. And strangely, enough, Doyoung likes working like that. It’s like background music, except it makes him feel different every time. Some days he grows annoyed at the words, some days he laughs. Some days he’s flustered and red all over and some days he silences Jaehyun with a cool comeback. 

“He’s crazy,” Doyoung chuckles to himself. 

He leans against the window sill, head poking out. His room may be drab but the window, this view. He swears it’s pure magic. 

Two sharp knocks against his door make Doyoung snap out of his train of thoughts. He’s expecting Jungwoo, and as he opens the door the boy beams at him. He holds up a pack of fried chicken in his hands and makes his way inside. 

“Not too shabby,” He analyzes the room. 

Doyoung shrugs, “Good enough for me.”

To which Jungwoo rolls his eyes, “Alright mister humble, bring out the alcohol.” 

With a smile Doyoung moves to the kitchen and takes a couple of bottles out for himself and Jungwoo. The pair dig into the takeout food and pour a couple of shots. It feels like a much needed break. Jungwoo talks about his parents, about manager Lee and all his silly moments. Turns out he’s much more naive than it seems. They have a good laugh over Doyoung’s first day and Jungwoo tells him all the crazy stories of some of the people he’s encountered. 

“Jung Jaehyun,” Jungwoo’s slightly tipsy at this point, “He’s the craziest.” 

Doyoung laughs at his words, still working on his first bottle of alcohol. 

“Did I tell you the balloon incident? No- you need to hear the condom incident first!” Jungwoo exclaims, slamming his hand down on the table. 

“Or do you wanna hear about the time he told me to break up with his girlfriend for him?” A groan follows, “It was so awkward, poor girl.” 

Jungwoo shakes his head and pours himself another shot. He picks it up and tilts it towards Doyoung, “Kudos to you for handling him.” 

Doyoung only lets out a silent laugh. “He’s an okay guy. Just talks a lot.”

Jungwoo almost chokes on the shot he’s downing and looks at Doyoung like he’s crazy. 

“Okay guy? That’s an understatement. Y’know, I think he likes you.” 

Now it’s Doyoung’s turn to choke. “What?” 

“I’m serious!” Jungwoo stares at him with wide eyes, “I’ve lost count of how many times he’s called Taeyong telling him to give you a raise for the most ridiculous things.” 

Doyoung shakes his head at Jungwoo’s words.

“One of these days I bet you he’s gonna call and say ‘Taeyong! Give Doyoung a raise for his outstanding booty!’” Jungwoo giggles at his own joke and lets out a little hiccup. 

“Mhmm? ‘Nuf about me, what about you?” He gives Jungwoo a suggestive glance, “Why the sudden transition from ‘Mister Lee’ to Taeyong? Don’t think I don’t know!” 

Jungwoo glares at him and grumbles out a low ‘Shut up, what do you know’ before taking another shot and lying down on the floor. Doyoung kicks him gently, “C’mon woo, don’t be shy,” He jokes.

“Did you just kick me, huh?” Jungwoo grabs his slipper and is about to chuck it at Doyoung’s head when an urgent knock at the door interrupts the conversation. Jungwoo sobers up a little and looks at Doyoung quizzically, “Did you invite anyone else?” 

Doyoung shakes his head, “I don’t even know anyone else.” 

He stands up and slowly walks to the door, the knocking grows more urgent. Doyoung opens the door to reveal a very distraught Taeyong. “Hyung?” 

“What’s wrong?” Doyoung’s eyebrows furrow.

“Jaehyun,” Taeyong lets out breathlessly and pushes his way inside, slumping down on the floor. He grabs Doyoung’s shot for himself and downs it, while Jungwoo only stares with widened eyes. 

“He made a complete mess in the lobby. And he’s asking for you.” 

Doyoung raises an eyebrow and points at himself, “Me?” 

Taeyong nods furiously, “You better hurry and go. Trust me, you don’t want a drunk Jaehyun hunting you down. Firstly, he’s really bad at it and will probably hit his head and pass out, and secondly, he’s loud. So loud.” He winces as he remembers something. 

Doyoung hesitates, unsure of what to do.

“Don’t stand there!” Jungwoo exclaims, “Go!” 

And the pair practically shoo him out of his own room, leaving Doyoung with no option but to make his way to room 1215. A part of him is filled with dread, but another part is curious.

When the elevator door pings open at the twelfth floor, Doyoung is immensely fidgety. For some reason he’s reminded of his first day at work. It’s the element of surprise, he doesn’t know what to expect and he hates the feeling of uncertainty that lingers in the air. 

He walks over to where Jaehyun’s room is and stares at the door, a feeling of dejavu hitting him. 

_ Bite the bullet, it’ll be over quick. _

His fists ball up at his sides and he raises one to knock on the door. He grimaces when he hears clumsily shuffling and then a clatter on the other side followed by a distant ‘Doyoung?’. Doyoung leans his head against the door and sighs, the shuffling getting close. 

“Doyoung! Doyoung? C’mon open,” The door rattles a little signifying a struggle on the other side and Doyoung shakes his head. 

Thankfully he’d thought ahead and brought along his keycard. He swipes it and turns the knob slowly, taking a deep breath before finally pushing it open. 

Jaehyun stares at him, wide-eyed and smiley. “Doyoung!” He happily shrugs his shoulders.

Doyoung awkwardly smiles, “Jaehyun,” He nods at him, closing the door behind him. The apartment is dark and Jaehyun’s absolutely out of it. 

Jaehyun just smiles and blinks at him for a while, “Err...you called me?” Doyoung says. Jaehyun’s eyes widen as if he’s just realized something and he lets out a loud ‘Oh’

He grabs Doyoung’s wrist and quietly slurs out, “I wanna show you,” He leads Doyoung into his room and then to the balcony. Doyoung stands there with him quietly, hearing the waves crash against the shore in the distance. A little breeze picks up, blowing into their hair and faces gently.

It smells like the sea.

Jaehyun giggles. “You like the view?” A toothy grin is flashed at Doyoung and he mirrors it with a nod. 

“Not me! That,” Jaehyun points at the actual skyline. His exaggerated actions make Doyoung laugh.

“Yeah I figured.” 

Jaehyun nods, his eyelids look heavy and it seems like he’s struggling to stay awake. 

“Do you...wanna head to bed?” Doyoung looks at his swaying form in concern. Jaehyun shakes his head and begins blubbering out gibberish. Doyoung pulls at his arm and amidst his rambling, Jaehyun complies. Swinging Jaehyun’s arm over his own shoulder to keep him steady, Doyoung leads him to his bed.

“C’mon,” Doyoung heaves under his weight and pushes Jaehyun onto his bed. He lets out a sigh of relief, watching Jaehyun count something under his breath.

“5,” He holds up 7 fingers towards Doyoung. It’s effective in getting a genuine laugh out of Doyoung and that seems to be enough for Jaehyun because he falls back on his pillow with a smile on his face. 

“Alright Jaehyun, now where do you keep your medicine?” Doyoung asks him gently, to which Jaehyun just vaguely points at one of his closets. Doyoung shuffles around the room to search for it.

Through his smile Jaehyun begins speaking, “Y’know Doyoung, you’re like an adorable bunny? Did I ever tell you that?” 

Doyoung’s back is towards Jaehyun and he lets a distracted giggle escape him, “Nope Jaehyun, thank you for telling me.”

Jaehyun nods.

“Yeah and- and you’re so good at what you do you know? You’re such a good listener. I really like it when I make you laugh or turn into a tomato.” He opens his eyes and stares at the wall, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. 

“You make me feel less alone, Doyoung,” Jaehyun’s voice drowsily mumbles out. 

The words make Doyoung freeze. There it is, that feeling again. The same thing he felt when Jaehyun talked about home-cooked meals. It’s this weird rewarding warmth mixed with a noticeable twinge of sadness and empathy. 

“And your cooking!” His voice makes Doyoung snap out of his thoughts and resume what he’s doing. “You should cook for me more! Or teach me how to cook!” 

Doyoung smiles, walking over to him. “I will, Jaehyun.” 

He lets out an endearing giggle,”You promise?” 

Doyoung places the pain-killers on Jaehyun’s bedside table and brings him a glass of water. He gently removes Jaehyun’s shoes and places them neatly by his bed. Getting up with a sigh, Doyoung stares at Jaehyun who looks back at him with sleepy eyes, expectantly.

“I promise.” He nods with a smile. Doyoung throws a blanket on Jaehyun’s frame, who cuddles into it with a smile. 

  
  


“I’m so glad you showed up.” 

More words that go straight to Doyoung’s heart. He can’t stop the corners of his lips from pulling up into a smile. 

_ I’m glad you showed up too. _

  
  
  
  
  
  


\--

A week passes by in a flash. Doyoung is pretty much swamped with work. The only change being the fact that he hasn’t had to tend to the twelfth floor as much since Jaehyun had gone back home for a few days. 

The idea of the new formed friendship makes Doyoung giddy. So much so that even on his day off he finds himself walking down the hallways of the 12th floor. He holds a bag of groceries in his hand. Staying true to his word, he decides he’ll finally cook Jaehyun another meal. 

Taeyong was kind enough to let him have an extra day off, saying it was a token of his gratitude for handling drunk Jaehyun. Doyoung was beyond bored earlier that morning, sprawled across his bed like a starfish when the thought struck his mind. 

_ Jaehyun’s coming back today. _

He assumed that he’d be tired and a comforting meal would make him feel better. Doyoung searched up recipes and ran to the grocery store to get the ingredients, and here he is. 

Doyoung stares at room 1215 with a smile, nodding he takes a seat on the floor beside the door. 

His phone pings with a text. He fishes it out of his pocket, it’s from Jungwoo. 

_ ‘You really shouldn’t be going to Jaehyun’s rn’  _

Doyoung’s eyebrows knit together in confusion and concern, wondering what’s wrong. 

There’s no time for him to go back, though, because heavy footsteps walk down the hallways and he can hear Jaehyun’s voice talking. Him and whoever he’s with haven’t turned a corner so they don’t spot Doyoung quite yet. 

His voice continues to get louder, “Leave me alone.” 

“No.” It’s a woman's voice. 

“I won’t be dumped by you, Jae.” She sounds adamant.

“Fine, then you dump me. Are we done here?” Jaehyun’s voice sounds frustrated. 

Doyoung’s eyes widen and he wonders what he should do. There’s no way he can casually slip away without passing the pair. Before he can think anymore, he hears shuffling footsteps and Jaehyun turns the corner, spotting him. 

For a fraction of a second Jaehyun’s eyes widen in surprise, before they stare at Doyoung blankly. 

Doyoung can’t make out what he’s feeling. 

_ Does he want me to go away? _

_ Is it one of those ‘You shouldn’t be here’ looks? _

Doyoung stands up immediately, dusting the back of his pants. He silently bows at Jaehyun. The woman also turns the corner, her furious teary eyes are glued to Jaehyun and Doyoung momentarily feels bad for her. That is, until she starts talking again.

She scoffs, crossing her arms “Of course you’re gonna be like this. What did I expect from a bastard like you?” 

She’s hit a nerve. Doyoung can see it in the way the words make Jaehyun freeze. His shoulders grow taut and his fists ball up so tightly his knuckles turn white. It seems like he’s holding his breath. Since Jaehyun’s been silenced, the girl finally spots Doyoung. Her eyes narrow at the bag of groceries in his hand and she takes predatory steps towards him. 

“You’re busy today, huh, Jaehyun?” Her eyes remain trained on Doyoung and she looks him up and down with distaste, “This is what you’re busy with?” 

Her accusatory tone doesn’t sit well with Doyoung. Did she expect Jaehyun’s world to revolve around her? Why is she treating Doyoung like he’s some kind of mistress? 

“Enough.” Jaehyun bites out 

“You’re a liar Jaehyun. What, your daddy doesn’t love you so you can’t have a stable relationship? Get your head out of your ass and fix your issues!” She spits out the words.

Doyoung surprises the pair by finally speaking, “Bullshit.” 

“What did you say?” 

He squares his shoulders and stares her straight in the eye. 

“He dumps you so you come back and attack him personally? It’s useless. Are you trying to get him back or do you think doing this is all gonna help recover your paper thin ego?” 

“You guys broke up. It’s really not that deep.” 

She lets out an incoherent yell and walks over to him. “You don’t get to talk to me like that.” 

“I just did.” Doyoung’s reply is instant and the two glare at each other. She’s fuming and so is he. The tension in the air seems almost suffocating and Doyoung’s holding his breath too.

The adrenaline rush feels nice.

It isn’t until she shoves Doyoung that Jaehyun steps in. He gently grabs her wrist, and moves it away from Doyoung’s shoulder.

“You’re harassing my friend.” His voice is so icy it sends a shiver down his spine, “Going away on your own before I call security would be in your best interest.” 

She glares at the two boys. She knows she’s lost. Yanking her arm away from Jaehyun’s grasp she turns and marches away from them. 

It feels like he can finally breathe again. The tension finally clears from the air, but a cloud of awkwardness lingers over the both of them. The adrenaline wears off Doyoung and he stares at Jaehyun, unsure of what to say. Did he need comfort? Or would it just come off as pity? Should he just stay silently? Or should he leave and give him space? He bit down on his bottom lip. 

“Are you okay?” Thankfully Jaehyun speaks up. 

Doyoung nods, “Yeah, you?” Jaehyun nods back and takes his keycard out. Without another word he opens the door and gestures for him to come in. 

“I- I wanted to keep that promise,” Doyoung moves to the kitchen to set the groceries down. Jaehyun’s back faces him and he angles his face to signify that he’s hearing Doyoung. He doesn’t say anything, though, just wordlessly discarding his coat on the couch.

So, Doyoung continues nervously, “Y’know...cooking for you?”

He clasps his hands together. Jaehyun stares outside the windows for a while, before disappearing into his room. 

As soon as he’s gone, Doyoung buries his head in his hands. It feels like deja vu again, reminding him of the first day he cooked for Jaehyun. Except this time it isn’t just silly teasing but rather, much more of an awkward situation. 

“Maybe I should just leave,” He huffs to himself, ”Stupid Jungwoo and his bad timing.” 

He puts away the groceries and decides with finality that he’s going to go back to his own room when Jaehyun comes back and stands in his way. He stares at Doyoung for a while. It’s a look Doyoung can’t make out. 

It makes him nervous. Not knowing makes him nervous. 

“Can you cook for me later? There’s something else I want to do now.” 

Doyoung nods, “I get it. I was just about to go-,”

“No.” 

“Huh?” 

Doyoung stares up at him, “What?” 

Jaehyun hesitates for a moment, but then he reaches out and grasps Doyoung’s hand in his own.

“I want you to come with me.” 

And just like that, Doyoung’s following behind him to wherever Jaehyun takes him. Their hands are intertwined the entire way.

-

“I hate going back home.” 

Jaehyun’s knees are pulled to his chest. “But I hate being here, too.” 

Jaehyun brought Doyoung along to the beach. They’re both sitting shoulder to shoulder on a little concrete fence that separates the street and the beach. Doyoung leans, supporting himself with his arms. His feet are in the sand. 

He doesn’t know what to say to Jaehyun’s sudden confession. So he doesn’t say a word. He just listens, it’s what he’s good at. He hopes that his presence is enough to comfort Jaehyun in some way.

And it does work.

Doyoung’s warmth makes Jaehyun feel nice. There’s someone to  _ really _ listen to him. Someone he can confide in without being judged or pitied. Any other person would just answer him ‘You’re rich? What do you have to hate?’, to which Jaehyun would have no words. He should be grateful and he is, but he can’t help the hollowness in his chest.

“Especially during the night. It’s all good fun until everyone leaves and I’m alone on my bed, looking at this view.”

“It’s lonely.” Doyoung stares at Jaehyun who’s fiddling with his fingers.

“I used to feel like that.” Doyoung says softly, reminiscing of all the times he laid in his bed staring out the window blankly. 

“How’d you make it stop?” 

“I didn’t. I just ran.” 

“Oh. Well, that’s a solution.” Jaehyun shrugs.

Doyoung lets out an unamused laugh, that isn’t the reaction he usually gets. 

“No, it’s me being a coward.” 

“Running takes courage, too. Letting go takes courage.” Jaehyun turns to look at Doyoung. And, he can see it in his eyes that the words are heartfelt. 

“Do you ever miss home?” Jaehyun asks out of curiosity. Doyoung sighs, “Not really. Bad memories. I’m glad to leave them behind.” 

“See?” Jaehyun grins at him, “Running did you good!” 

Doyoung laughs, “Are you trying to comfort me?” 

Jaehyun looks away. The sun is setting now. The horizon looks beautiful.

“I’m reassuring you. What you did isn’t the norm, but it’s okay. If it makes you happy, it’s okay.” 

Doyoung stares at the sand and something in his heart swells. He feels safe. He feels safe pouring his heart out to Jaehyun and he can’t remember the last person who’s ever made him feel this comforted or valid. 

“Thank you.” His words are barely above a whisper, but they’re heavy. Jaehyun feels it.

He reaches out and ruffles Doyoung’s hair, and Doyoung throws him a feigned glare. He raises his hands up in defeat, “Easy there, tiger.”

“Tiger? I thought I was your  _ adorable bunny _ ,” Doyoung teases. 

Jaehyun groans covering his face with his hands, “Oh please no.” 

He composes himself and clears his throat, trying to keep his voice steady, “I’ve never called you that.” 

“Yes you have.”

“No.” Jaehyun stares at him with narrowed eyes.

Doyoung moves his head closer and pokes Jaehyun on the shoulder, “Yes.” 

Jaehyun isn’t one to back down. He stares Doyoung down too, moving his head closer. “No.”

Doyoung closes the distance more, “Yes.” His breath fans over Jaehyun's face and their close proximity doesn’t go unnoticed by either of them. None of them want to break the moment. Jaehyun observes Doyoung’s face, his doe eyes. 

_ Doie _ .

Jaehyun wants to call him Doie. His hand reaches out and brushes a couple of stray strands of hair out of his eyes. Doyoung’s breath catches in his throat at the action and his brain goes blank. He wants to stay like this. Even if it’s for a couple of seconds longer, he wants to stay.

“Doie.” It’s a gentle whisper. 2 syllables. It sounds tender and loving. Nobody’s ever called Doyoung like that.

He can’t help but smile. Feeling his cheeks get red, Doyoung quickly looks away and begins to fiddle with his fingers. Jaehyun pulls away and smiles at Doyoung cheekily, loving the way he’s made him flustered.

Jaehyun’s stomach grumbles, making Doyoung’s face snap towards him. He stares at Jaehyun, mouth in an ‘O’ and Jaehyun senses the oncoming laughter heading his way. It isn’t long before Doyoung’s rolled out of his seat and onto the sand, clutching his stomach in laughter. A contagiously happy emotion envelopes him and soon enough Jaehyun joins him too. He’s a little more composed though, walking over to the older boy who’s lying down on the beach. He reaches a hand out, “C’mon dusty, I’m hungry!” 

The sun’s almost gone by the time they’re walking back to Jaehyun’s room. 

“Jae,” Doyoung calls, “Give me your hand.” 

“You wanna hold it, Doie?” Jaehyun flashes him a wink. Doyoung just nods nonchalantly, taking Jaehyun by surprise. 

“Yeah,” He shrugs, “I’m cold.” He weaves his hands through Jaehyun’s ones casually. 

Doyoung leads the way and Jaehyun follows behind him, staring at their hands with a smile.

_ I could get used to this. _

-

  
  


Doyoung is scrambling around the kitchen and Jaehyun is staring at him from one corner. He takes a bite out of the baby carrot in his grasp and nods as the recipe blasts from Doyoung’s phone that’s in front of him. 

“This is cool and stuff, Doie, but I can’t remember all this.” He shakes his head dismissively. 

Doyoung rolls his eyes at Jaehyun’s words. “It’s my first time properly cooking too.” 

“What you make tastes good, though,” 

“I cooked you scrambled eggs and toast, Jae.” Doyoung gives him a deadpan look.

“Alright, you got me,” Jaehyun lifts his hands in defeat, “The rumours are true, I only say your cooking is good because you look cute doing it.” He winks.

Doyoung’s ears turn red. He grabs the wiping cloth that is swung over his shoulder and throws it on Jaehyun’s face. “Your carrot is unwashed by the way.” 

Jaehyun frowns, removing the cloth from his face, staring down at the tiny bite left of the baby carrot, “Could’ve told me earlier.” He grumbles under his breath, watching Doyoung neatly arrange vegetables on the counter top. He places his chopping board down on the surface gently and begins to chop a carrot on it.

Jaehyun’s grumbling comes to a halt at the sight in front of him. It would make anyone’s bad mood dissipate. Doyoung’s pout of determination is back and his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. His thin sweater is snug with a wide neckline that displays his collarbones.

Jaehyun stares at his arms and the veins, then Doyoung’s skillful hands. 

He has nice hands. They’re significantly big and slender. He hardly looks like he’s never cooked a proper meal.

“Bowl, bowl, bowl…,” Doyoung leaves the carrots and shuffles around the kitchen, checking the bottom cupboards and drawers. He chews on his bottom lip in thought and furrows his eyebrows. “I’ll check the top.” 

Jaehyun’s cabinets are very difficult to reach even for someone as tall as Doyoung. They’re even harder to look into. Doyoung grunts in frustration and climbs onto the counter-top. On his knees he wobbles and pokes his head into the cabinet, letting out a sigh of defeat when he doesn’t find what he’s looking for.

“So annoying,” He grumbles to himself, about to climb down when he feels himself losing stability. 

Before he can though, two pairs of hands grab his waist, preventing him from falling on his back.

“Thanks,” He huffs out. In the safety of Jaehyun’s grip, he’s able to turn around comfortably.

“Find the bowl?” 

“Nope.” Doyoung only realizes then that he’s face to face with Jaehyun. His eyes momentarily widen and he gulps.

He’s sitting on the counter-top, arms holding Jaehyun’s shoulder. 

The pair stare at each other, something about their closeness makes Doyoung’s breath catch.

Jaehyun’s hands clasp his waist to help him keep his balance. His touch is careful, electric. Doyoung looks down at Jaehyun, analyzing his features and all he can think is how gorgeous Jaehyun is. His chest moves up and down, his breathing erratic. He can smell Jaehyun’s cologne from their proximity.

“Doie.” Jaehyun’s lips part, and it’s all Doyoung can pay attention to. He licks his own lips, feeling unbelievably parched. 

“Jae,” Doyoung breathes out. Jaehyun’s hand starts moving. He moves it to Doyoung’s front, slipping it under his shirt.

Doyoung shudders feeling Jaehyun’s cold hands make contact with his own skin, “ _ Jae _ .” 

Jaehyun doesn’t stop there. He moves his hand up Doyoung’s chest. 

It feels good. “Jae.” 

He loves the way Doyoung says that. It’s breathy but firm, like he’s holding back from more. Doyoung’s hold on Jaehyun involuntarily tightens and he feels like the breath’s been knocked out of him when Jaehyun moves his head to his neck.

“Doie?” Jaehyun’s voice is barely above a whisper, breath tickling Doyoung’s neck. He hums in response, not being able to think straight.

Jaehyun places a kiss on his collarbone.

“Does this feel good?” 

“Yes...Mmm.” Doyoung bites down on his lip when Jaehyun begins biting and licking him there. His hand moves up to Jaehyun’s hair and he arches his back into his touch. “Jaehyun.” Doyoung’s voice is louder, nearing a moan. Jaehyun chuckles against his skin, sending more pleasurable vibrations down Doyoung’s spine. 

“God, you’re so good.” 

“I’m not God, baby. But I’ll take it.” 

Baby. Like that wasn’t enough, Jaehyun moves up and begins placing kisses along Doyoung’s Jaw. “You’re so beautiful Doie.” 

“I know.” Doyoung answers simply, “You concentrate on working your magic.” 

To his disappointment, Jaehyun pulls away. “I can’t do that when you’re distracting me.” 

“Oh?” Doyoung inquires. His neck feels cold because of his absence and he can feel the tender hickies. He smirks down at Jaehyun, having a few tricks up his sleeves too. “Guess I’ll have to take things into my own hands, then.” 

Without warning Doyoung pulls Jaehyun to him, crashing their lips together. Jaehyun immediately begins to kiss him back, even smiling into it. With his hands around Jaehyun’s neck, Doyoung pulls him in closer, like he can’t get enough. They’re chest to chest, hip to hip and Doyoung begins to move against Jaehyun. 

And Jaehyun’s moan lets him know that he’s struck gold. 

They pull away for air, but Doyoung doesn’t quit there. He immediately reaches down, palming Jaehyun’s very excited member through his pants. Jaehyun inhales sharply, “Doie.” It sounds like a warning, which gets Doyoung going more. He picks up his pace, hearing Jaehyun panting and heaving letting out the occasional ‘fuck’ or ‘Doie’. 

He stops for a couple of seconds, making Jaehyun whine. Doyoung snickers, hands going down Jaehyun’s waistband. 

“Fuck, Doie.” Jaehyun buries his head in Doyoung’s neck, hands clawing Doyoung’s back so hard he’s sure it’s going to leave crescent shaped markings. 

The vegetables are long forgotten. A clatter of pots and pans and thumps resound and the pair move to Jaehyun’s room.

The rest? Is history.

  
  


-

Jaehyun wakes up from a slumber hours later. His muscles are sore and he feels tired. On his left is an empty space.

So he left.

Jaehyun looks out the familiar view, memories from earlier emerge. Feelings from earlier. The memory of Doyoung’s sleeping back underneath the moonlight, the feeling of holding him. It was exhilarating. And now he only has the dip of the bed where he laid and Doyoung’s sweater strewn around the floor. The cold remnants. 

Jaehyun’s parched and hungry and alone.He checks the time, it’s almost midnight. A part of him wants to whine and throw a fit.

_ ‘Why couldn’t you stay?’  _

_ ‘Why couldn’t I wake up to your face instead of this view?’  _

It’s so high up from the world, so far away. Jaehyun sighs, deciding to get up and grab a bowl of cereal or something of the sort for himself. Throwing the covers away, he roughly grabs a pair of shorts from his closet and puts it on, making a mental note to take a shower right after he’s done. He feels sticky from all the sweating he did. 

He opens the door with a yawn and stretches his limbs.

“Oh? You’re right on time.” 

Jaehyun freezes. He feels like a tinman in need of oiling. He swivels around in his spot and stares at the boy in the kitchen, unboxing take-away food on the countertop. 

“Doie.” 

Doyoung’s cheeks heat up. He stares at Jaehyun’s shirtless form, all sorts of thoughts and memories run through his mind, and they’re nothing innocent. He’s almost dazed as he analyzes Jaehyun’s moonlit figure. His perfectly chiseled face and cushiony lips. The same lips he was kissing a mere couple of hours ago. 

He clears his throat, “I figured you’d be hungry, so I got you food.” 

Jaehyun doesn’t move and Doyoung feels awkward, they can’t seem to meet each other’s eyes. “Sit.” He slides a container of food forward. 

He nods back, walking over and perching himself on a stool. He silently opens the container and grabs a pair of chopsticks, all the while staring at Doyoung who’s wearing his hoodie and shorts. 

“You look good in my clothes.” 

Doyoung chokes on his own saliva and begins to ramble, “Well my sweater’s ruined because you-  _ yeah _ , and my pants aren’t...wearable right now so…” He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly and holds his breath.

Jaehyun has to hide a smirk with his hands and a frown forms on Doyoung’s face. He rolls his eyes subtly “Whatever, I had no choice.” He grumbles out in embarrassment. 

“It’s fine,” Jaehyun stares at him, “I like it.” 

Doyoung licks his lip, not knowing what to say to Jaehyun, who grins and eats. He clears his throat again, exiting the kitchen and walking around to where Jaehyun is sitting. 

“I’m gonna go now. I have work in the morning”

Jaehyun nods, his mood deflates a little at the thought of Doyoung leaving. Still, he’s glad that he stayed back to get him food and say goodbye, “I’ll walk you out.”

He gets up from the chair and walks behind Doyoung, placing his hand on the small of his back. It takes Doyoung by surprise, but still a ghost of a smile makes its way onto his face. The gesture feels so warm. 

“Get back, safe.” Jaehyun smiles at Doyoung when he opens the door. Doyoung nods at him and hesitates at the doorway for a few seconds. He chews on his bottom lip and after a while of pondering he walks up to Jaehyun again, grasping his arm. 

“If you,” He takes in a breath, “When you look at that view at night and feel alone, just remember that I’m staring at it too from like 8 stories down.” He lets out a soft laugh. 

Jaehyun stares at him in surprise. 

“Thank-,”

Doyoung leans in and places a soft kiss on Jaehyun’s cheek before smiling tenderly at the sight of the flustered boy in front of him who freezes mid-sentence. 

“Bye Jae,” With a small wave, Doyoung scrambles out of the apartment and the door shuts behind him with a firm click. 

Jaehyun turns in his spot and stares out the window. He lets out a laugh at himself, “I should’ve said something.” He shakes his head and heads to his room.

  
  


What Jaehyun thought was the loneliest view in the world suddenly makes warmth bloom in his chest.

\--

  
  
  


_ What was I thinking?  _

That was the first thought Doyoung had when he’d gone back to his room. He was slumped by the window sill, staring at the view and some silly part of him liked the idea that perhaps Jaehyun too was looking at it and thinking of Doyoung. He had groaned and buried his face in his hands, still mulling over kissing Jaehyun on the cheek. 

Thinking about Jaehyun of course made his mind drift to all the other things they’d done and in the end Doyoung was just a steaming tomato in his own room. 

He’d convinced himself to not think about it. It was just one night, everything would go back to normal as long as he acted normal, right? But did he want things to go back to normal? Did Jaehyun? 

A flurry of questions bombarded his mind.

He found himself avoiding Jaehyun, afraid that he’d mess up and say something absolutely idiotic. He’d go clean his room extra early in the morning and be done before Jaehyun even woke up. And when Jaehyun called room service, he’d nag at Jungwoo until he did it for him. 

_ ‘Not until I’ve composed myself’ _ , Doyoung promised himself.  _ ‘I’ll talk to him then.’ _

It took longer than he expected and a week passed in the same fashion. The weekend came along before he knew it. 

The snap of a finger interrupts Doyoung’s train of thoughts. He realizes he’s been chewing on his lip and bouncing his leg up and down for the past few minutes. “Hyung,” Jungwoo stares at him, “Cut it out!” 

Doyoung begins thinking that he’d chosen the worst pair of people to distract him. 

He huffs out a breath and so does Jungwoo, “What’s taking Taeyong hyung so long,” Jungwoo whines, slumping backwards onto the couch. They’re in the hotel lobby, waiting for Taeyong to sort some things out before they can go out. 

Playing games at the arcade, having street food and a meal with some alcohol is what they’d planned on the spot the night before. 

The lobby isn’t bustling but there’s a good amount of tourists scurrying around either to get checked in or head out for a day of sightseeing. The chairs are comfy. A soft piano tune plays in the background and natural light comes into the room through the parted curtains of the windows.

“Hyung,” Jungwoo nudges Doyoung, “Wanna bet on something?” 

“Nope.” Doyoung answers back to which Jungwoo scowls at him,

“You’re no fun.” 

“You’re betting only because you know you’re gonna win, just say you wanna rip me off and go, Jungwoo,” Doyoung tilts his head and stares Jungwoo adamantly. Jungwoo turns away from him and feigns an exaggerated shudder. 

“You’re scary sometimes, y’know?” 

Doyoung smiles in satisfaction, “Good!” 

“I’m done, you guys!” Taeyong jogs over to them and lets out a huff of exhaustion, “Everything’s settled, we’re good to go!” 

Jungwoo mumbles a quiet ‘finally’ underneath his breath and they gather their stuff so they can head out. Taeyong smiles over at Doyoung, “You haven’t properly gotten to know the city, huh?” 

He shakes his head and quietly laughs, “Not really.”

“No worries!” A firm pat on his back makes Doyoung jump in surprise and he turns to glare at Jungwoo who beams at him, “I know this place like the back of my hand.” 

Taeyong glares at him too. With a roll of his eyes he grabs Jungwoo by the sleeve of his flannel and tugs him away, “Come on, let’s head out boys.” 

“Yes sir!” 

Doyoung can only shake his head as they pass through the lobby. Taeyong dragging Jungwoo along looks so silly it puts a smile on his face. 

They’re almost outside when a figure stands in front of them, stopping them in their tracks.

His familiar eyes make Doyoung freeze up in his spot. He isn’t ready to face him. In fact, seeing him right now has already begun to have it’s effects. Doyoung’s breathing gets heavy and he feels heat climb up the back of his neck. All he can remember is that night, and all the memories he’d been working so hard to repress and not think about all day, rush back into his mind. 

“Jaehyun.” 

Taeyong and Jungwoo quietly bow at him and stare in confusion, “Hi Mister Jung.” 

Jaehyun’s eyes leave Doyoung and look at Taeyong. He feigns a frown, lightly smacking Taeyong on his shoulder, “You make me sound old!” 

Taeyong smiles awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck, “Right, I’m sorry Jaehyun.”

“Where are you guys headed?” 

“Just to the arcade and then maybe we’ll eat outside, why, you wanna come with?” Jungwoo asks him curiously.

“As a matter of fact, I do. I was so bored.” Jaehyun smiles at the trio as they all stare at him weirdly. A day out with the hotel owner’s son? The guy who can easily have them all fired at the snap of his fingers? The guy whose every beck and call they answer? 

Jungwoo faces Doyoung with a face of immediate regret and Doyoung only scowls back at him. He isn't sure if he wants to smack himself or Jungwoo more. Nothing seems to be working in his favour. 

Taeyong breaks the awkward silence by nodding, “Sure! Why not?” 

“Good! Let’s go!” Jaehyun gestures for Taeyong to lead the way and he politely nods, walking outside. Jungwoo follows closely after him and Doyoung manages to sluggishly trail behind them with his stiff limbs.

Jaehyun falls into step with him and Doyoung is immensely aware of his presence. 

They’re shoulder to shoulder, he can smell his cologne and feel his warmth.

And Doyoung wonders what else the day has in store for him.

  
  


-

  
  


When they arrive at the arcade it’s strangely crowded for so early in the morning. It’s noisy, people chatter loudly and the game machines let out noises while loud music blasts from the speakers on the wall. The interior is lit by colourful neon lights and spotlights. Jungwoo’s eyes are widened as he walks inside and without a word he immediately walks over to a racing game. Taeyong goes over to him, to scold him and bring him back saying something along the lines of getting him back before he cons random children and takes their quarters to play.

Doyoung nods, distracted. His and Jaehyun’s shoulders are touching. 

When Taeyong walks over to Jungwoo and gets busy giving him an earful, Jaehyun leans into Doyoung, whispering in his ear, “You’ve been hiding from me.” 

Doyoung stares at him, eyes wide.

“H-have not.” 

“You stuttered.” Jaehyun smirks and then pouts, “Do you hate me already?” 

While he smiles teasingly, there’s some seriousness behind his twinkling eyes. Doyoung gulps, furiously shaking his head, “No I don’t! I just-,” 

His eyebrows furrow, “I just don’t know how to act around you after…”

“Do you keep thinking about it when you see me?” The question elicits a squeaky ‘What’ from Doyoung and he falls silent, eyes guiltily staring at Jaehyun while his cheeks redden. Jaehyun chuckles, “I’ll take that as a yes.” 

He stares at Doyoung’s face, “It’s alright. Me too.”

“You mean when you look at me you remember…”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.”

Doyoung nods and bites back a smile. Why does that make him so oddly happy? A feeling of satisfaction envelopes him and he feels the awkward air around them clearing. He can finally breathe clearly again. He’s relieved they’re on the same page. 

“I’m that good huh?” Doyoung smirks. 

“The best.” Jaehyun teases and the pair laugh together. He pokes Doyoung on the shoulder.

“That’s why you shouldn’t avoid me, silly. I’ve missed you.” 

Doyoung bites down on his lip, “Me too.” 

Taeyong comes back dragging a glaring Jungwoo behind him. He looks worn out already.

“Let’s go get our quarters,” Taeyong huffs out and they all follow behind him. 

There’s a small line at the counter and it isn’t long before they’re done paying, pouches of quarters in each of their hands. 

Jungwoo runs over to the racing game he’s been wanting to play and Taeyong’s eyes are glued to the claw machine. “Mine first!” Jungwoo whines, trying to pull him away from staring at all the cute stuffed toys, “Those are rip offs anyways, you’ll never get one!” After arguing for a while, Jungwoo leads them all to the racing game. 

Doyoung learns that Jaehyun likes to show off and Jungwoo’s very competitive. Taeyong’s a hesitant driver and likes following rules while Doyoung fumbles with the fast paced game, crashing onto the sides of the roads or into the hurdles.

  
  


The claw machine is a chaotic experience with Jungwoo and Taeyong bickering again while Jaehyun manages to win a stuffed toy, stumping Jungwoo’s argument of it being an ‘Adorable money-stealing monster machine’ 

Taeyong sticks his tongue out at him in finality, “The only con here is you, Woo.”

They move onto the dance machine, Jungwoo and Taeyong go head to head in an intensely heated match where Taeyong wins by a close call. 

Jaehyun and Doyoung go next and instead of leaning back and placing his hand on his own support rail, Jaehyun stretches one hand and places it on Doyoung’s. The other two let out cheers commending Jaehyun’s strategy for sabotaging Doyoung. 

It eventually leads to his own loss but Jaehyun doesn’t really care.

They go to the whack-a-mole game next, and when Doyoung's struggling during his game Jaehyun takes his hammer from him. He's behind Doyoung and he leans forward, his hands trapping Doyoung in his place. 

"That's how you get them." Jaehyun says quietly. 

Jungwoo and Taeyong stare at them weirdly but think nothing of it. 

Not until they go to the mini basketball hoops and Jaehyun stands behind Doyoung, his hands going around him as he helps Doyoung clutch the basketball, leaning in to whisper things into Doyoung's ear. 

Something's up. Jungwoo and Taeyong glance at each other knowingly. But they mask their suspicions when the other two make their way back. 

"I'm tired," Doyoung says, slumping against one of the machines. Jungwoo nods, "Let's call it a day." 

"Let's exchange our quarters and tickets." Taeyong says. 

"You guys can have mine, I'm gonna go get a water bottle," He gives Taeyong his pouch. 

Before he can walk away, Jaehyun pipes up too, "Same," He places his pouch onto Taeyong's palm "I wanna grab a Cola." 

With a wave, he grabs Doyoung's arms and drags him away while Taeyong yells behind them, "Let's meet here again!" 

Doyoung takes his arm away from Jaehyun's grasp, "Easy there, I'm not running off anywhere." 

"I know, but I can't help it, I just want to hold you."

Doyoung shakes his head and puts a quarter into the vending machine while Jaehyun leans against it, smiling up at him cheekily. "Did you have fun today?" 

Doyoung hums at him, leaning down to get his water, "You?" When he rises back up he finds Jaehyun staring at him. "Jae-,"

Jaehyun places his hands on both sides of Doyoungs head, like brackets. He leans his face in, "My day would be 10 times more fun if you let me steal a kiss." 

Doyoung clutches his water bottle to his chest, breathing heavily. He raises an eyebrow at Jaehyun's request, "Well, it can't be helped. By all means, go ahead." 

Jaehyun grins at him before leaning down and placing a kiss against Doyoung's lips. He's about to pull away from the short, chaste peck when Doyoung arches his back, rising up to keep their lips connected. He places one hand on Jaehyun's shoulder and pulls him closer. He gasps in surprise and Doyoung takes the chance to bite down on his lip and then slip his tongue into Jaehyun's mouth. The kiss is heated. It's passionate and rough.

Doyoung opens his eyes when they pull away for air. He spots an old man staring at them weirdly when he passes by.

Doyoung immediately pushes Jaehyun away with a squeak of embarrassment. 

Jaehyun falls on his butt, lips red and swollen. Doyoung clears his throat, dismissively waving a hand in the air awkwardly. "You...get your Cola." 

He marches away, flustered. 

Jaehyun's eyes widen while he tries to wrap his mind around what just happened and he lets out an incredulous laugh. 

Doyoung walks back to find Taeyong and Jungwoo in the spot where they said they'd meet. He fixes his hair and puts the cold bottle of water on his face, hoping it'll ease his reddening cheeks. 

"Oh...Doyoung," Taeyong says when he sees him. He exchanges a look with Jungwoo.

Doyoung hums in response and nods at the pair. He uncaps his water and begins to drink it. Jungwoo rolls his tongue against his cheek and lets out a 'tsk'.

"You guys are smashing aren't you?" That earns him a smack on his head from Taeyong while Doyoung begins to choke and sputter. 

"Smash- what?" He grimaces. 

"What?! I'm sorry I have balls hyung!" Jungwoo yells at Taeyong before shaking his head and diverting his attention back to Doyoung, "You and lover boy with the Cola." 

"I-," Doyoung takes in a deep breath and stares at Taeyong and Jungwoo who look at him with expecting eyes.

"We...yes." He huffs out. 

"When?! How?!" Jungwoo flails his arms in the air. 

"Well...I caught him arguing with someone and then he took me to the beach and we had a moment. I was going to cook for him but then things just...escalated." Doyoung's face warms up while he recalls everything.

Jungwoo's eyebrows raise in shock, "...Eventful day." 

Doyoung awkwardly chuckles, "Right?" 

Taeyong's eyebrows are furrowed and he gives Doyoung a look of concern, "Doyoung...are you sure about this?" 

"Stop ruining the mood hyung," Jungwoo begins to whine but Taeyong's serious glare makes him quiet down. 

"Sure about what?" Doyoung nervously replies. 

"It's not my place to say but...as a friend and your manager, I just want you to be sure that you're not making any rash decisions." Taeyong explains

"He's the hotel owner's son. And I just...feel like maybe you guys are moving too fast. Just be careful, yeah?" Taeyong pats him on the back comfortingly. 

Moving too fast. 

The thought sticks with Doyoung, but he pushes it to the back of his mind when he sees Jaehyun coming back. He smiles at Doyoung, eyes crinkling up in happiness. 

They're okay for now, Doyoung convinces himself. 

They're fine.

  
  


-

The day passes by relatively quickly. The boys go sight-seeing around the city and take a walk on the beach, by sundown they’re having dinner and drinks at a bar. 

“This place is a hidden gem,” Jungwoo chews on the free service peanuts, hiccuping. He’s beyond drunk and so is Doyoung who bangs his head against the table. 

Jaehyun frowns at him, quietly slipping his hand between the surface of the table and Doyoung’s head to cushion the collision. “Doie, you’re gonna get hurt.” 

Doyoung grumbles something under his breath and lifts his head abruptly, placing his cheek on his hand. He’s slumped and grumpy. His cheeks are red and he sniffles because of the cold air conditioning in the room. 

“You should’ve worn a sweater,” Jaehyun smiles at him, his dimples make an appearance. Doyoung’s eyes widen and he begins poking Jaehyun on the cheek. Taeyong grabs another shot and glares at Jungwoo who’s close to passing out. 

“Are you gonna take him home?” Jaehyun asks.

Taeyong nods and groans, “I’ll make sure to double his workload as payback.” 

Jaehyun chuckles. Taeyong nods towards Doyoung, “Are you sure you’ll be able to take him?” 

“Yeah, the hotel’s within walking distance no worries.” 

“Just making sure,” Taeyong takes his wallet out to pay and Jaehyun shakes his head at him. 

“It’s on me. I already feel sorry for intruding on the three of you..” 

Taeyong smiles at him, “It’s okay, Doyoung enjoyed his day because of you so it’s all good.” Silence envelopes for a while and both of them wonder if they should bring up the topic of the pair. Taeyong stares at his empty glass. He looks up to meet Jaehyun’s eyes. 

“Take care of him.” The look in his eyes tells Jaehyun all he needs to know. Take care of him tonight and in the future. Take care of his heart. Jaehyun nods, “Of course.” 

The four of them make their ways outside. Doyoung’s leaning against Jaehyun, his arms wrapped around his shoulders and face buried in the crook of Jaehyun’s neck where he dozes off. Jaehyun snakes an arm around his waist to help him walk. Taeyong drags a grumbling Jungwoo behind him, repeatedly sighing and letting out huffs at his random antics. Jaehyun waits until they hail a cab,and sends them off with a goodbye. 

“C’mon Doie, let’s go.” He says gently and Doyoung mumbles something but lets Jaehyun guide him. 

The walk to the hotel is peaceful. The night is cold and Doyoung shivers, huddling closer to Jaehyun. He chuckles, finding drunk Doyoung absolutely adorable. A pout seems to be etched on his face permanently and he’s extremely clingy. 

By the time they reach the hotel Doyoung’s awake enough to swipe his keycard and unlock his room. He stumbles in, clutching Jaehyun by his shoulders and when the door shuts behind them he grabs Jaehyun’s cheeks, squishing them. 

“Hyunnie, I’m home!” He bursts into laughter, “Get it?” Jaehyun laughs at him and nods. 

Doyoung flops down on his bed, hearing Jaehyun shuffle around the room. He feels his shoes and socks coming off. He hears pouring water and switches clicking which makes his standing fan turn on, blowing cool air into his face. The bed dips beside him and with squinty eyes, Doyoung stares up at Jaehyun. 

He makes out Jaehyun’s smile and feels a soft kiss being placed on his forehead. Jaehyun runs his hand through Doyoung’s hair which lulls him to sleep. 

When soft snores escape Doyoung’s mouth and Jaehyun is positive he’s sleeping, he gets up and grabs his things. 

“Sleep well Doie,” He smiles softly “I love you.” 

His voice is barely above a whisper and the only witness to his confession are the four walls of the room.

  
  


-

  
  


It’s a couple of weeks later, one fine Friday morning in the hotel lobby.

“I’m going to ask him out.” 

“Tonight?!” Jungwoo and Taeyong simultaneously sputter out. 

“Keep it down!” Jaehyun shushes them, “And yes.” 

Things were going well with Doyoung. No, they were going incredibly well. They’d gone on countless little ‘dates’ to the beach and had weekend dinners which ended up with Doyoung staying over and cuddling Jaehyun. Maybe it was too fast, but Jaehyun didn’t care. Doyoung became his daily dose of happiness. His sweet honey brown eyes, his bare back where Jaehyun loved making swirls with his thumb. His warm touch, that made Jaehyun’s anxious heart beat a little more steadily and put him at ease. His soft lips. He’d been growing addicted to their taste. 

Jaehyun was overflowing with love. Every time he saw Doyoung the words on the tip of his tongue begged to be set free. 

Sometimes, he’d wonder, laying on his bed. What would Doyoung’s reaction be? 

Would he initially think it’s a joke? Would he be surprised? What look would he have in his eyes? 

Jaehyun was certain that it would be something positive. Doyoung’s loving actions left no spot of doubt in Jaehyun’s heart. All he had to do was say it. 

Jaehyun feels a firm pat on his back, “You’ve got this!” Taeyong pumps his other arm in the air and Jungwoo gives him an encouraging nod. 

“Doyoung hyung is definitely going to say yes!” 

Jaehyun’s cheek reddens at the thought of Doyoung as his boyfriend. He imagines all the things they’ll do together. He’d love to take Doyoung out on movie dates and on walks on the beach at sunset. He’d love to make him breakfast and bring him flowers. To shower him with soft kisses and make love to him passionately. To hold him when he’s sad and be with him for his happiest memories.

“Say yes to what?” 

Doyoung walks over to them, clutching a pile of towels in his hands. He smiles at the trio and comes to a stop beside Jaehyun, staring him in the eyes. He places the towels on top of the table and Jaehyun weaves his hands through Doyoung’s 

“Yes to having dinner with me tonight, baby.” The endearment makes a blush travel up Doyoung’s cheeks. He raises an eyebrow, “That shouldn’t even be a question, see you at 8?” 

He places a kiss on Jaehyun’s cheek to which Jaehyun smiles and hums in agreement. 

“Mister Jung.” 

Jaehyun freezes. His heart drops to the ground and he glances at Doyoung, immediately letting go of his hand. He clears his throat, but doesn’t make an effort to turn around. 

Doyoung stares at the burly suited men in confusion. A frown makes its way on his face and his cold hand itches to clutch Jaehyun’s as some form of comfort. He feels eyes glaring at the back of his head when he turns to grab the towels. Sensing the tension, Taeyong and Jungwoo move away. Taeyong makes eye contact with Doyoung and shakes his head, as if telling him to give Jaehyun some space. Doyoung nods at him and quietly begins to back away. 

Jaehyun’s eyes are trained on the table in front of him. Doyoung bites down on his bottom lip in concern as he watches Jaehyun’s fists ball up at his sides. Jaehyun glances at him, his eyes are icy and blank. 

“Why are you guys here?” 

“Your father wishes to meet you.” 

A thump resounds and Jaehyun turns his head to see that Doyoung’s bumped into one of the men. 

“Watch it.” His voice comes out as a warning and Doyoung frowns at him.

“You watch it. You can’t walk into someone like that,” He tells him off. 

“What did you say?!” 

“Leave him alone.” Jaehyun’s worked up voice interrupts them, the man stares at him in suspicion and Jaehyun works hard to mask his emotions, “We’re wasting time.” With that he turns and walks away.

Watching him leave like that, Doyoung can’t help but think that something horrible’s about to happen.

-

Sharp at 8, Doyoung makes his way to room 1215. He perches himself on the floor in front of the door and waits for Jaehyun’s arrival. 

He doesn’t know why but an anxious feeling bubbles within him. All he wants is for Jaehyun to come back safe and hold him close. But 30 minutes pass by and there’s no sign of him. It turns into an hour, and then two and soon Doyoung finds himself sitting in the same spot for three hours. 

His back hurts and his hands go cold. Any appetite he had is gone. Something’s wrong. He can feel it. All his texts and calls to Jaehyun go unanswered and he wonders if he should try again. He sighs in defeat, one last time. 

He presses on Jaehyun’s contact and presses the phone by his ear. His fingers are crossed and he hopes he’ll answer.

A familiar ring plays in the background and Doyoung hears shuffling footsteps before seeing someone’s feet in front of him. “Oh Doie, you waited?” 

Doyoung doesn’t answer and a loud thump resounds in the room as he jumps up, wrapping his arms around Jaehyun’s form. His relief is short-lived because as soon as his eyes move to Jaehyun’s face, it’s like the breath’s been knocked out of his lungs. With a shaky hand he reaches up and traces the cut on Jaehyun’s face. It elicits a hiss from him and Doyoung’s eyes become glossy with unshed tears. 

Jaehyun unlocks the door and Doyoung gently pushes him in, dragging him to his bedroom, making him sit on the bed. He scurries to get the first aid kit and begins tending to Jaehyun’s face when he begins to tell him about his day. 

Jaehyun recalls the meeting with his father. His father’s gaze on him was as stoic as ever when he said, “I’ve heard about the boy.” 

“Your goons are still loyal to you.” Jaehyun replied venomously.

“Get rid of him. As my son, you don’t need to stir up controversy by being associated with some bellboy.” 

“Oh? So I’m your son now?” Jaehyun’s blood boiled, “I’m your son only when you want to control me?” 

That gained him a slap on the cheek. And after hours of arguing he’d gotten himself disowned. 

He looks around the room. None of this will be his by the morning. Doyoung clutches onto him, tears dripping down his cheeks and the look on his face hurts Jaehyun more than his father or his injuries. His hand reaches up to wipe it off his cheek.

“Don’t cry Doie, please.” His voice cracks.

“Jaehyun, you shouldn’t have…” 

“I don’t care Doie.” 

“No, Jaehyun, what are you going to do now? You’re going to lose all this-”

“I love you.” 

Doyoung’s grip on Jaehyun stiffens at his words, “I didn’t want to tell you like this. But I do.” 

Doyoung doesn’t answer for a while. He stays there, sitting in silence. Jaehyun grasps his hand, making Doyoung sit down on his lap and he obliges, still frozen. 

“Doyoung?” 

His head swivels towards Jaehyun and he wraps his hands around his neck pulling him into a feverish kiss. Their mouths move against each other and Doyoung pulls away when he hears a hiss of pain from Jaehyun. 

“Run away with me.”

  
  
  


“Run away?!” Jungwoo says from the other side of the door. Taeyong quietly enters the apartment when he sees the door ajar and immediately drags Jungwoo away. 

“What- I was getting to the interesting part!” He screams in the hallway.

“Eavesdropping isn’t good, Jungwoo.” Taeyong says. 

Jungwoo doesn’t know what happened to them, but the next morning, Doyoung doesn’t clock into work and he finds room 1215 to be empty.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> pls dont hate me for the ending thx


End file.
